Printing machine



ug- 25, 1942. H. W.'BRUKER 2,293,886

PRINTING MACHINE Filed May 5, 1941 INVENTOR W h. MAM

m4 w vbtui ATTO R N EYS Patented Aug. 25, 1942 PRINTING MACHINE HobartW. Bruker, Bordentown, N. J assignor to George W. Swift, Jr. Inc.,Bordcntown, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 5, 1941,Serial No. 391,826

Claims.

The invention relates to a machine for printing, stamping and similarimpressing operations, by which numbers or similar characters orimpressions are to be successively impressed by the machine upon atraveling sheet.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a machine of the abovecharacter in which the spacing between the successive charactersimpressed on the sheet may be altered, without requiring extensivealteration or substitution of parts in the machine to, keep theimpressing tools moving at sheet speed while in contact therewith.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obviousand in part specifically referred to in the description hereinaftercontained which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing,discloses a machine constructed to operate in accordance with theinvention. From the standpoint of the invention in its broader aspects,however, the specific machine hereinafter disclosed should be regardedmerely as illustrative of its principles. In the drawing Fig. 1 is aside elevation in somewhat schematic and simplified form, of a machineconstructed to operate in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking inthe direction of the arrows.

The invention is disclosed as applied to a machine designed for printingsuccessive lines or rows of numbers, letters, or other desiredcharacters or markings, the successive impressions being spacedlongitudinally along a continuously fed paper web. As such machines havebeen previously constructed, it was necessary that the type blocksrotate at such a rate that their peripheral speed was at all times equalto the speed of feed of the paper sheet, otherwise the printed matterwould be smudged. Thus the range in spacing of the printed matter whichcould be obtained with a given set of machine parts, was exceedinglylimited, and in order to afford the necessary range in spacing of theprinted matter it was necessary to provide such a machine with a largenumber of interchangeable rotary type supports operating on differentdiameters and providing different spacings between the type blocks, inorder to provide for different spacing of printed matter and still keepthe peripheral speed of the type blocks under all conditions equal tothe speed of paper sheet travel.

As to many of its parts not specifically referred to hereinafter, thedisclosed machine may be understood as similar to prior art machines orof appropriate construction known to those skilled in the art, andaccordingly many of such parts sure or impression cylinder I mountedupon a rotary shaft 2, and acting as a feed roll for a paper sheet 3 ofthe usual type used in recording meters, the cylinder l beingdriven tofeed sheet 3 at constant speed.

A rotary impressing tool support 4, shown in the form of a disk, ismounted upon a rotary shaft 5 adjacent cylinder I, the rotary support 4being shown (Fig. 2) as driven by a gear 8 driven from shaft 2 as laterto be described. A plurality of type blocks 8 (of which only two areshown for simplicity) are arranged circumferentially around the rotarysupport 4, these type blocks being equally spaced from each other, andin the illustrated form of the invention these type blocks operate onsuch a diameter and are so spaced from each other, as to provide theminimum spacing afforded by the machine between successive charactersprinted on sheet 3, when the peripheral speed of the type blocks 8 isequal to the speed of travel of sheet 3.

Whenever it is desired to provide a greater spacing between successivecharacters printed on sheet 3, the speed of rotation of shaft 5 isproportionately reduced relative to the speed of travel of sheet 3, thusproducing a normal peripheral speed of the type blocks 8 which is slowerthan the speed of sheet feed, and the type blocks are mounted upon therotary support 4 to afford movement of such type blocks relative to saidsupport in a direction parallel to the direction of travel of the toolwhile in contact with sheet I.

Thus when each type block 8 is pressed into contact with sheet 3, thesheet controls the rate of movement of the type block in that stage soas to equalize the peripheral speed of the type block with the speed ofsheet feed, and'make the impression on the sheet without smudging. V

In the illustrated machine each of the type blocks 8 is supported upon alever 9 pivoted at ID to rotary support 4, and means is provided to urgeeach lever '9 to position the corresponding type block 8 at one limit ofits permissible range of movement. As shown spring H is provided forthis purpose, acting between a lug I2 and a stop [3, on rotary support4. Thus if it be assumed that the printed matter is to be spaced alongthe length of sheet 3 a distance greater than the peripheral distancebetween adjacent type blocks 8, the speed of rotation of rotary support4 will be correspondingly slowed down so that the normal peripheralspeed of type blocks 8 is less than the speed of feed of sheet 3. Butwhen a given type block 8 comes into pressing engagement with sheet 3,the faster movement of sheet 3 will cause the type block to move alongat sheet speed, lever 9 tilting about its pivot at this stage againstthe action of spring ll.

After a given type block 8 has passed out of contact with sheet 3, itsspring ll restores the corresponding lever B to normal position againststop I 3. In order to prevent the type block 8 from being pushed backagainst sheet 3 and smudging the latter as it is passing out of contacttherewith, I preferably provide means for preventing or delaying theabove restoring action of spring ll, until the type block 8 has movedaway entirely clear of the sheet. As shown, each type block hasassociated therewith for this purpose, a latch I14 slidably mounted in ahousing I5 carried by rotary support 4, and urged forwardly against thelever 9 by a spring I6. When the lever 9 is tilted as above described,the adjacent end of lever 9 moves out of the path of latch I4, so thatspring 16 advances the latch into engagement with the bottom wall oflever 9, preventing the latter from moving back to normal positionagainst stop l3, until the latch is withdrawn. Each latch I4 is shown asprovided with a roller l1 engageable with a stationary sector cam 18after the corresponding type block 8 has moved clear of sheet 3, towithdraw latch 16. Thereupon spring H restores the lever 9 to normalposition against stop l3, and after roller 11 passes around beyondsector l8, latch I4 is pushed by spring 16 up against the inner end oflever 9. In the illustrated form, the stationary sector cam I8 ismounted upon a hub 26 carried in a bearing 21 for shaft 5.

Suitable variable speed transmission may be employed to rotate thesupport 4 at a rate appropriate to produce the desired spacing ofprinted matter on sheet 3. In the disclosed machine, a simple changegear is shown for this purpose, consisting of a gear l9 engageable witha gear (not shown) on shaft 2 and mounted on a fixed spindle 2|]. A gear21 is adjustably mounted in known manner upon a slotted arm 22 pivotallycarried by shaft 20, and adjustable by a bolt 23 operating in a slot 24in known manner, so as to connect with the gear 6 on shaft/5 and achange gear 25 fixed to shaft 20.

In machines of the above described type, the rotary support-4 willusually carry a large number of type blocks equally spaced around theircircular path of travel, and. each constructed and arranged as abovedescribed in connection with the particular type block which is shown incontact with sheet 3.

Thus a machine of the above type may be readily adjusted to produceimpressions on the sheet 3 which are spaced various distances apartalong the length of the sheet, without requiring substitute supports 4of different diameters and with different peripheral spacings betweenadjacent type blocks, to be substituted.

While the invention has been disclosed as carriedout by a machine of theabove described specific construction, it should be understood that manychanges may be made therein, without departing from the invention in itsbroader aspects, within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A machine of the character described for printing and like purposes,having means for continuously feeding a sheet to be operated upon 7 atuniform speed, a rotary support rotated at uniform speed, an impressingtool rotatable with said support and positioned to engage the sheetwhile moving substantially in the same direction as the latter, saidmachine including means for producing a difference between the normalperipheral speed of said tool and the speed of travel of the sheet toalter the longitudinal spacing between successive impressions of saidtool on the sheet, means yieldably urging said tool toward a normalposition relative to said support but said tool being mounted to affordmovement thereof relative to said support in a direction substantiallyparallel to the direction of travel of the tool while engaging thesheet, to cause said tool to shift from normal position and move alongwith the sheet at sheet speed while in contact therewith underconditions where the normal peripheral speed of said tool is differentfrom sheet speed, said last mentioned means acting to restore said toolto normal position relative to the support after leaving contact withthe sheet.

2. A machine of the character described for printing and like purposes,having means for continuously feeding a sheet to be operated upon atuniform speed, a rotary support rotated at uniform speed, an impressingtool rotatable with said support and positioned to engage the sheetwhile moving substantially in the same direction as the latter, saidmachine including means for producing a difference between the normalperipheral speed of said tool and the speed of travel of the sheet toalter the longitudinal spacing between successive impressions of saidtool on the sheet, said tool being mounted to afiord movement thereofrelative to said support in a direction substantially parallel to thedirection of travel of the tool while engaging the sheet, to cause saidtool to shift from normal position and move along with the sheet atsheet speed while in contact therewith under conditions where the normalperipheral speed of said tool is different from sheet speed, means beingprovided to restore said tool to normal position relative to the supportafter leaving contact with the sheet.

3. A machine of the character described for printing and like purposes,having means for continuously feeding a sheet to be operated upon atuniform speed, a rotary support rotated at uniform speed, an impressingtool rotatable with said support and positioned to engage the sheetwhile moving substantially in the same direction as the latter, saidmachine including means for producing a difference between the normalperipheral speed of said tool and the speed of travel of the sheet toalter the longitudinal spacing between successive impressions of saidtool on the sheet, means yieldably urging said tool toward a normalposition relative to said support but said tool being mounted to affordmovement thereof relative to said support in a direction substantiallyparallel to the direction of travel of the tool while engaging thesheet, to cause said tool to shift from normal position and move alongwith the sheet at sheet speed while in contact therewith underconditions where the normal peripheral speed of said tool is differentfrom sheet speed, said last mentioned means acting to restore said toolto normal position relative to the support after leaving contact withthe sheet, said machine also including means for temporarily holdingsaid tool against the aforesaid restoring movement as said tool isleaving contact with the sheet.

4. A machine of the character described for printing and like purposes,having means including a rotary pressure cylinder for continuouslyfeeding a sheet to be operated upon at uniform speed, a rotary supportmounted adjacent said cylinder and also rotated at uniform speed, aplurality of impressing tools spaced circumferentially around saidsupport and each positioned to engage the sheet while movingsubstantially in the same direction as the latter, said machineincluding means for producing a difference between the normal peripheralspeed of said tools and the speed of travel of the sheet to alter thelongitudinal spacing between successive impressions of said tools on thesheet, each of said tools however being mounted to afford movementthereof relative to said support in a direction substantially parallelto the direction of travel of the tool while engaging the sheet, tocause said tools successively to shift from normal position and movealong with the sheet at sheet speed while respectively in contacttherewith, under conditions where the normal peripheral speed of thetools is different from sheet speed.

5. A machine of the character described for printing and like purposes,having means for continuously feeding a sheet to be operated upon atuniform speed, a rotary support rotated at uniform speed, an impressingtool rotatable with said support and positioned to engage the sheetwhile moving substantially in the same direction as the latter, saidmachine including means for producing a difference between the normalperipheral speed of said tool and the speed of travel of the sheet toalter the longitudinal spacing between successive impressions of saidtool on the sheet, means yieldably urging said tool toward a normalposition relative to said support but said tool being mounted to affordmovement thereof relative to said support in a direction substantiallyparallel to the direction of travel of the tool while engaging thesheet, to cause said tool to shift from normal position and move alongwith the sheet at sheet speed while in contact therewith underconditions where the normal peripheral speed of said tool is differentfrom sheet speed, a latch constructed and arranged to hold said tooltemporarily against movement back to said normal position as the tool isleaving contact with the sheet, and mechanism operating after said toolhas left contact with the sheet to withdraw said latch and cause theaforesaid yielding means to restore said tool to said normal position.

HOBART w. BRUKER.

